Method of re-attaching convenience closure device

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed herein a method of re-attaching a tear strip closure after removal from its can top, the tear strip closure being inserted in the opening formed in the can top by the removal of the tear strip closure, and the tear strip closure then being manipulated in order to cause re-engagement of the tear strip closure with the can top.

United States Patent [191 Tanzer [451 Mar. 18, 1975 METHOD OFRE-ATTACHING CONVENIENCE CLOSURE DEVICE John Tanzer, 2605 St. CharlesCL, Brookfield, Wis. 53005 Filed: Aug. 31, 1972 Appl. No.: 285,766

Inventor:

us. Cl. 220/243,;0/270 Im. on B65d 5/64 Field of Search 220/54, 2s, 85R, 33

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1971 Blechman 220/25 3,674,1727/1972 Wells et al. ..220/54 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall [57]ABSTRACT There is disclosed herein a method of re-attaching a tear stripclosure after removal from its can top, the tear strip closure beinginserted in the opening formed in the can top by the removal of the tearstrip closure, and the tear strip closure then being manipulated inorder to cause re-engagement of the tear strip closure with the can top.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures METHODOF RE-ATTACHING CONVENIENCE CLOSUREDEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Convenience opening devices for beveragecans and the like have rapidly gained wide consumer acceptance sinceconsumers can open cans without the need of a can opener. At the presenttime, carbonated beverages require the use of a tear strip closure wherethe consumer tears the removable closure device along preformed orweakened grooves.

After removal from cans, tear strip closures create a safety andpollution problem because consumers casually dispose of the tear stripclosures by tossing them on the ground. Despite the safety and pollutionproblems now associated with tear strip closures, the use of tear stripclosures are apparently considered more convenient and desirablebyconsumers and manufacturers than the problems theyhave created from ahealth and safety standpoint. As a result, some research and developmentby can manufacturers is currently directed to ways in which the tearstrip closure can expose the pour or drinking opening in the can topwhile leaving the tear strip closure attached to the can.

The present invention is directed to a new and improved method by whichsubstantially little, if any, modification is required in the tear stripclosure used for beverage cans and the like in order to provide arelatively simple and efficient technique for reattaching the tear stripclosure to the can top from which it has been removed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method ofre-attaching a tear strip closure to a can top after removal therefrom.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide amethod of re-attaching a tear strip closure, by inserting andmanipulating the tear strip closure relative to the pour or drinkingopening in the can top, in order to positively engage the tear stripclosure to the can top.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of safelydisposing the tear strip section of the tear strip closure within thepour or drinking opening of the can without interfering with the use ofthe pour or drinking opening by the consumer.

. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention areattained by the method of reattaching a tear strip closure having agenerally keyhole shaped tear strip section and a finger tab sectionconnected by a rivet portion to the marginal surfaces adjacent agenerally key-hole shaped opening formed in a can top after removal ofthe generally key-hole shaped tear strip section from the can top, saidmethod including the steps of: inserting the tear strip section into thegenerally key-hole shaped opening formed in the can top, moving the tearstrip section inwardly until the rivet portion is positioned in thereduced neck area of the generally key-hole shaped opening and thenrotating the tear strip section in order to move the finger tab sectionand tear strip section into engagement with the can top on oppositesides thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentaryperspective view illustrating the manner in which tear strip closuresare currently removed from can tops of beverage cans and the like;

FIG. 2is a top plan view depicting the manner in which the tear stripclosure is inserted into the pour or drinking opening of the can topafter, removal therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the can top with the rivet portion of thetear strip closure in the reduced neck area of the pour or drinkingopening prior to manipula tion or rotation of the tear strip closure;and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view illustrating the manipulation or rotation ofthe tear strip closure relative to the can top in order to positivelyre-engage the tear strip closure to the can top.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 of the drawing, atear strip closure 10 for beverage cans and the like is shown in theprocess of being removed from the can top 12 of the beverage can 14 inorder to expose the pour or drinking opening 16. After removal of thetear strip closure 10, it is the current practice for consumers tosimply discard the tear strip closure 10 by throwing it in a wastereceptacle or on the ground. Where the tear strip closure 10 isdiscarded on the ground, this not only creates an unsightly environmentas do discarded cans and packaging devices, but in the case of tearstrip closure devices, there is another problem in that the sharp edgesof the tear strip closures 10 provide a health hazard, particularly onbeaches, playgrounds and the like. By following the procedural teachingsdisclosed by the present invention, it is possible to re-attach the tearstrip closure 10 to the beveragecan 14 so that even if the can 14 is notproperly discarded in a trash receptacle, the tear strip closure 10 willnot constitute a health hazard.

The tear strip closure 10 includes a ring pull finger tab section 18which is connected by a rivet portion 20 to the tear strip section 22.It will be appreciated that tear strip closures 10 other than those withring pulls 18 can be used in the re-attachment method presently to bedescribed.

It will be noted that the pour or drinking opening 16, as well ascomplementary shaped tear strip section 22, have a generally key-holeshaped configuration. This shape, which has been generally universallyaccepted by manufacturers, can be usefully employed in the hereindisclosed method. As can be seen in FIG. I of the drawing, the key-holeshaped pour or drinking opening 16 includes a reduced neck area 24 andan enlarged opening 26, the latter being more closely positioned theouter periphery of the can 14 in order to facilitate drinking or pouringfrom the can 14.

In re-attaching the tear strip closure 10 to the can 14, the first stepto be taken is the insertion of the tear strip section 22 into thegenerally key-hole shaped opening 16 formed in the can top 12 as is bestdepicted in FIG. 2 of the drawing. As the tear strip section 22 isinserted, it will be noted that the ring pull finger tab section 18 isat least partially positioned outside of the can perimeter.

Following the insertion of the tear strip section 22, the tear stripsection 22 is moved inwardly toward the center of the can 14 until therivet portion 20 is positioned in the reduced neck area 24 of thegenerally key-hole shaped opening 16. This is best depicted in FIG. 3 ofthe drawing. At this position, the tear strip section 22, shown indotted lines in FIG. 3, extends beneath the can top 12 while the ringpull finger tab section 18 overlies the generally key-hole shapedopening 16. With the rivet portion 20 positioned in the smallest part ofthe reduced neck area 24, the tear strip closure can be rotated ormanipulated in order to move the finger tab section 18 and tear stripsection 22 into engagement with the can top 12 on opposite sidesthereof. This is easily accomplished by gripping the ring pull fingertab section 18 and rotating the tear strip closure from the positionshown in FIG. 3 to the posishown in FIG. 4 of the drawing. Approximately180 movement will have taken place by this manipulation so as toposition the ring pull tear tab section 18 away from the pour ordrinking opening 16 while the tear tab section 22 is disposed within thecan 14. The tear strip section 22 partially blocks the opening 16, butnot so much as to interfere with the pouring or drinking of the canscontents.

The positive re-attachment of the tear strip closure 10 relative to thecan top 12 is achieved by virtue of the fact that the base portion 28 ofthe ring pull tear tab section engages the marginal surfaces of the cantop 22 in the vicinity of and adjacent to the opening 16 while the freeend of the tear tab section 22 engages the marginal surfaces, either onone or both sides of the opening 16, on the undersurface of the can top12.

It will be appreciated that various changes can be made in the shape ofthe opening 16 and tear strip closure 10 in order to facilitate there-attachment method disclosed herein. For example, the smallest part ofthe reduced neck area 24 of the opening 16 could be arranged to providea snug or snap-lock fit relative to the the rivet portion 20 in order toprovide an even more positive re-attachment. It will further be apparentthat the finger tab section 18 and/or tear strip section 22 can bemodified in order to provide a more aggressive impingement with respectto the top and/or bottom surfaces of the can top 12. Various otherchanges which will facilitate the herein disclosed method will depend onthe desires of the manufacturer, but it will be seen that variousmechanical modifications can be made to improve the re-attachmentengagement of the tear strip closure 10 relative to the can top 12.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the reattachment methodof the present invention provides a technique whereby substantiallylittle, if any, changes need be made in the manufacturing process while,at the same time, a unique method of re-attaching the tear stripclosures commonly utilized for beverage cans can be followed in order toovercome environmental and health problems which are presentlyassociated with tear strip closures.

I claim:

1. The'method of re-attaching a tear strip closure having a generallykey-hole shaped tear strip section and a finger tab section connected bya rivet portion to the marginal surfaces adjacent a generally key-holeshaped opening formed in a can top after complete removal of thegenerally key-hole shaped tear strip section from the can top,comprising the steps of:

inserting the separated year strip section into the generally key-holeshaped opening formed in the can top,

moving the tear strip section inwardly until the rivet portion ispositioned in the reduced neck area of the generally key-hole shapedopening, and

then rotating the tear strip section by engagement and movement of therivet portion thereof within the reduced neck area of the generallykey-hole shaped opening and causing the finger tab section and/or tearstrip section to engage the can top for re-attaching the tear stripclosure.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the tear strip section isrotated approximately to positively re-attach the tear strip closure tothe can top.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the tear strip section andfinger tab section are moved into engagement with the can top onopposite sides thereof.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 including the step of hingedlylocking the rivet portion of the tear strip closure relative to thereduced neck area of the generally key-hole shaped opening.

1. The method of re-attaching a tear strip closure having a generallykey-hole shaped tear strip section and a finger tab section connected bya rivet portion to the marginal surfaces adjacent a generally key-holeshaped opening formed in a can top after complete removal of thegenerally key-hole shaped tear strip section from the can top,comprising the steps of: inserting the separated year strip section intothe generally key-hole shaped opening formed in the can top, moving thetear strip section inwardly until the rivet portion is positioned in thereduced neck area of the generally keyhole shaped opening, and thenrotating the tear strip section by engagement and movement of the rivetportion thereof within the reduced neck area of the generally key-holeshaped opening and causing the finger tab section and/or tear stripsection to engage the can top for re-attaching the tear strip closure.2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the tear strip section isrotated approximately 180* to positively re-attach the tear stripclosure to the can top.
 3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein thetear strip section and finger tab section are moved into engagement withthe can top on opposite sides thereof.
 4. The method as defined in claim1 including the step of hingedly locking the rivet portion of the tearstrip closure relative to the reduced neck area of the generallykey-hole shaped opening.